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5th Lent Reflection
A Sonnet in response to Ghislaine Howard’s “The Washing of the
Feet”
Judas
has his feet washed…..
I
count the numbered hairs upon his head
as
he bends o’er the bowl to wash my feet.
Between
us, growing silence feeds my dread
of
his response at proof of my deceit.
And
so my panick’d heart fills up the space
with
insubstantial chatter, hoping he
will
lift his head and meet my sorrowed gaze;
read
in my eyes the conflict tearing me
apart.
He will not; yet his firm embrace
of
callous, shame and soil through servanthood,
the
splash of cleansing water filled with grace,
gives
hope that my intent is understood.
I’ll
still not trust his depth of love for me
until
he harrows hell to set me free.
(John
13:2b-9, 12-14)
Who
is the disciple having their feet washed in this picture?
The artist does not say. Most people might assume it’s
Peter, since it is Peter’s conversation with Jesus about whether
it is appropriate for Jesus to wash the disciples feet that takes
up a good part of the story.
But
the more I looked at the picture alongside the gospel account,
the less convinced I became. The body language of the
figure instead put me in mind of people prattling on at the
hairdressers. Having your hair cut, like having your feet
washed, is quite an intimate experience, often performed by
someone we don’t really know. My theory is that the
superficial conversation nearly everyone seems to engage in when
in the salon chair is a way of overcoming the potential
awkwardness of this entry into personal space.
That
led me to wonder what it was like for Judas to have his feet
washed by Jesus that night. Awkward in the extreme, I’d
have thought. Throughout Christian history, Judas’s story
has raised the same questions which are beyond definitive
answer. Why did he betray Jesus? What did he think
would happen? What choice did he have?
This
sonnet goes no further towards providing an answer, but I did
conclude that whatever was going on for Judas that night, it must
have been a struggle for him. I could not believe he would
spend years in the company of Jesus and not worry how Jesus would
respond to his decision.
The
final lines are inspired by a possibly apocryphal story, but one
which gives food for thought. A priest was instructing
children in the Christian faith. “Where did Jesus go after
he died?” the priest asked. “He went to Hell to find his
friend, Judas”, came a child’s reply.
You
can see a video version of this reflection here: https://youtu.be/lh9MadjbqhY
Ghislaine
Howard; The
Washing of the Feet from the Methodist Modern Art
Collection © TMCP, used with permission.
Poem
by Rachel Parkinson. Free to use with attribution.
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Easter Pilgrimage in Shropshire - update
18th-23rd April
led by Rev’d Rachel Parkinson & Deacon Carys Woodley
We’ll be walking around 10 miles per day, from Church
Stretton to Ludlow, come rain or shine! We’ll go at the
pace of the slowest walker but there are some climbs and stiles
to negotiate. Most of the route is on public footpaths.
We’ll also be praying together at various points of the
day.
There are two ways to join this year’s Easter Pilgrimage:
1. Come and stay for the whole week, or several nights, in
Methodist Churches in the Shropshire & Marches Circuit.
We will have a support vehicle so you can bring
airbed/bedding etc without having to carry it. We will eat
communally. Suggested contribution for the week £110 to
cover food and donation to churches. (Sorry - over 18’s
only for this option due to Safeguarding).
2. Join us for a day’s walk. Option to share evening meal
(donation welcome to cover costs). Need to be able to
arrange transport back to your starting point.
There
will be a Zoom meeting for those wanting to join the
pilgrimage full time or for day walks at 5pm on Wednesday 13th
April. Please contact District Office for Zoom link.
If you have not made contact already, please contact Rachel at chair@wsmethodist.org.uk for
more information and to book your option.
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Queen's Platinum Jubilee and Children's
Support Fund
There
is still a good amount of funding still available through the
above fund so if you have any activities celebrating the Queen's
Platinium Jubilee with your Junior Churches then please submit an
application for funding. We can turn these around reasonably
quickly provided all the information and signatories are
complete. The application form is attached.
If you have any projects not linked to the Jubilee then please
also consider applying.. any questions please contact me tim.a.lorimer@gmail.com.
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LPWL Study Day
Speaker:
Di Kruczek from CAP (Christians against Poverty)
LPWL study day is on Saturday 30 April at St. Stephen's Methodist
Church, Cannock from 10 - 3. Open to all, not just preachers
and worship leaders. An opportunity to hear speakers from
Christians Against Poverty and explore the work of other
organisations in the field. What the Bible says about people who
are poor and how we can get more involved.
See poster here.
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Saltley Trust Small Grants
Do
you have an idea
for a project where a few hundred pounds would
make a big difference? St Peter’s Saltley Trust’s small grants fund
can help support creative and innovative projects in Christian learning
and discipleship. Eligible projects in some
way help to grow gifts, skills, confidence and understanding for
living out Christian life and the Church’s calling at grass roots
level, in response to the challenges and opportunities of today…
and tomorrow. We particularly hope to benefit the most
marginalised.
Grants are available to cover project costs including: developing
resources, learning and training opportunities, action research,
conferences, events or exhibitions. Around 10 grants of approx.
£500 each are available every year, to projects
located in the wider West Midlands region (B’ham and Black
Country, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire
and Worcestershire).
Read more on what we do/don’t fund at: https://www.saltleytrust.org.uk/what-we-support/.
Contact: bursar@saltleytrust.org.uk
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Synod Secretary Vacancy
The
Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District is looking for a
replacement Synod Secretary. This post could be Lay or
Ministerial (in the active work or Supernumerary).
The
Synod Secretary plays a vital role in the life of the
District. The post carries the opportunity and challenge of
becoming familiar with the full scope of the work of the District
and connecting this with individual Circuits and the wider
Connexion.
The
vital qualities required in this role are:
•
to be a people person - able to communicate with a variety of
people and to work in collaboration with lay and ordained
colleagues
•
to be able to develop relationships of trust, particularly with
the District Chair
•
to be a good planner and to be able to pay attention to detail
•
to be willing and able to comply with Connexional guidance in CPD
•
to be willing to gain an overview of the life of the whole
District.
A
full role overview is here.
Please
send an email expressing interest or for more information, to
Andrew Beattie, synsec28@gmail.com.
Formal applications should be submitted as above by Friday 15th
April 2022. This appointment will be subject to Safer
Recruiting guidelines.
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Playgroup Manager Needed
Kingswinford Methodist Church Playgroup
Stream Road, Kingswinford, DY6 9NP
An enthusiastic, personable and innovative individual is required
to lead and manage a highly popular and successful Playgroup,
based at Kingswinford Methodist Church. The post offers an
exciting opportunity for a person with the relevant
qualifications and experience to work with a committed team of
early years practitioners in sustaining and further developing the
high levels of care and education provided by the Playgroup,
which was graded “Good” by OFSTED in October 2019.
The long-established Playgroup provides pre-nursery education for
children aged 2 to 3 years, operating on a term time only basis
from 9.15 to 11.45 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The post offered is a permanent, part time position, with the
Playgroup Manager working 18 hours per week for 40 weeks per
year. On the three days per week when the Playgroup is in
session, the Manager works from 8.30 to 12.30, with the
additional hours that are allocated for administrative tasks
being flexible.
The annual salary, including holiday pay, is £9,560 (figure
quoted is based on pay rates for 1st April 2022 to 31st
March 2023).
Further information and an application form are available from
the Kingswinford Methodist Church website: www.kingswinfordmethodist.co.uk
Completed applications should be returned to secretary@kingswinfordmethodist.co.uk
Closing date for
applications:
Saturday 23rd April 2022
Interviews to be
held:
Thursday 19th May 2022
Start
date:
1st September 2022
The Methodist Church is an equal opportunities employer and is
committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and
vulnerable adults. This appointment will follow the
Methodist Church’s safer recruitment procedures and the
successful candidate will undergo an enhanced DBS check prior to
the commencement of employment.
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It's ok to not be ok
Mental Health Awareness Resources
COVID-19 has affected all our lives and our livelihoods in
profound ways over the last year. The nation has come together to
keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, but there has been a
cost. The virus itself, and the necessary measures to contain its
spread, have triggered feelings of worry, distress or loneliness
for many of us. These feelings are a completely normal response
to an unprecedented period of disruption. As restrictions ease
and the economy is gradually and safely reopened, many people
will feel their wellbeing improve as they reconnect with family
and friends and return to the routines and activities that help
to keep them well. However, we know that some people’s mental
health has taken a harder, longer-lasting hit during the
pandemic. Groups who had the highest risk of mental ill-health
before COVID, including those living with
pre-existing conditions, seem to have been worst affected.
The mental health impacts of the pandemic have also been felt
keenly by those directly affected by the virus – people who have
been bereaved, people who have survived an acute illness, people
living with long COVID, and our amazing frontline and key
workers. So much of our mental health is shaped by how our daily
practical, social and emotional needs are met, and by whether we
can have hope for the future. Good mental health and wellbeing
are essential assets for individuals, communities and society.
They can help each one of us to live fulfilled, productive and
healthy lives.
Below are a few resources that may help in shaping your response
to help someone who is struggling with their mental health:
Reflection
on discovering hope and grace (from: the connexion • Autumn 2020)
Until lockdown, a small group of wounded pilgrims would meet from
time to time at Selly Oak Methodist Church in the Birmingham
Circuit. The name of our group is PH7. P stands for pain, H for
hope, and there were originally seven members.
We are people who live with different kinds of pain and weakness,
but who also discover surprising strength and hope. Each of us
has had to let go of some aspect of life before illness, and
therefore we live with the question: “If life can no longer be
like that, then what might it become?”
We live with night questions, those unsettling, searching,
sometimes terrifying, thoughts that come when sleep is
impossible. We learn to depend on the love, care and patience of
others. We become uncomfortably familiar with the possibilities
and limitations of modern medicine.
When we meet we leave a chair for the ‘absent-present ones’,
those who cannot be with us. After a silence, we simply tell each
other the story of how it has been for us since our last meeting.
The telling is often bloody and broken. But in the telling and
the listening we make discoveries. We come to know ourselves and
each other, the heights and depths of embodiedness, the fragility
and stubbornness of hope. Today we all face what PH7 has been
struggling with and celebrating. With the global pandemic, our
world has been broken open. So much of what we took for granted
is no longer possible. What might life become now? And are we all
‘absent present ones’, a community of separatedness? So perhaps
wounded pilgrims have a body-wisdom to offer. We suggest the
following. Leave an empty chair. Tell each other the stories of
how it has been. Face the pain and fear honestly. And listen for
the whispers of hope. Hope will not take us back to the way
things were. Instead it comes to us as a disturbance, something
new that emerges from the cracks in the old. It comes as grace.
My own struggle to move into a new kind of ministry, to becoming
a wounded pilgrim, has opened up a space where the words and the
silences make poetry possible. When PH7 meets, another member,
Donald Eadie asks for a ‘Tony poem’ to lead us into the silence
and the storytelling. I include two here, written initially for
PH7. Poems are my way of thanking God for both the pain and the
hope.
Hope
Hope is the horizon of the curved world,
where seen and unseen are joined and divided,
and suggested hidden lands invite the soul to boundless
journeying,
of finding and being lost from sight.
Hope is the seed born in darkness, fragile and unconquerable,
whose urge toward the unknown light
will shatter stones and move the earth,
for an inherited promise of green.
Hope is the distant call of horns,
the hint of a scent blown on a wind not of this world,
the memory of a summer dream
caught in some corner of the heart.
Hope’s a graffiti defiance of grey,
unsilenced rumour of another way.
It is the fidget child, the student rage,
the troubled soul, the eccentric old, the ill-at-ease here.
Hope is faith’s refusal to believe,
gazing beyond vision, beyond presence,
always asking the strange question,
imagining and shaping a world invented and discovered alike.
The Rev Dr Tony McClelland is a supernumerary minister in the
Birmingham Circuit, whose active ministry was cut short by
ill-health.
Discoveries
In the night:
a word of comfort and a way through fear.
In the morning:
day that comes as gift,
a world opening into possibility.
In frailty:
the slow wisdom of the body,
the unexpected strength to stay with this, to wait.
In loneliness:
a surprising solidarity,
a community of separatedness.
In the tears:
a freedom of honesty,
a path to compassion.
In the silence:
a space where love grows,
unhurried awareness of depths.
In another’s words:
something we have known together,
but could not name alone
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Food for Thought Conference
All lay and clergy are welcome to discover
more about being a disciple of Jesus Christ at this day
conference.
Roger
Walton will explore discipleship in Mark’s gospel with some
summary points about the other three gospels and their approach.
Mark’s gospel is an ‘action movie’. It presents
discipleship as learning rapidly on the move. So fasten your seat
belts for a bumpy, exhilarating ride as we explore discipleship
in Mark and how that might speak to us today.
This joint day conference between
Lichfield Diocese and Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury Methodist
District on 7th May 2022 features keynote
speaker Revd Roger Walton. There will be worship, Bible study and
workshops in which to reflect on different aspects of
discipleship including joy, rule of life, forgiveness and change.
It will be held at Yarnfield Park Conference Centre near Stone
ST15 0NL between 10 and 4pm. The cost is £20 including tea,
coffee and a choice of lunch from a quality menu.
Bishop Michael of Lichfield and the Revd Rachel Parkinson, Chair
of Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury Methodist District are taking
part. The workshops are being led by Revd Andrew Roberts, Dr
Lindsey Hall, Revd Preb Helen Morby and Revd Roger Walton.
Bookings are being taken now. For more information visit the website or
contact John Underhill on 07936 300297 or jlunderhill@btinternet.com
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The Spirit that Crosses Borders
The
Centre for Faith in Public Life at Wesley House is hosting a
series of events at Pentecost exploring faith questions arising
in the context of migration. Our contributors bring to bear
experience of migration in the Pacific, in Europe and in Central America.
Join
us in person or online to explore this pressing topic.
Further
information and to register for this free event can be found here - https://bit.ly/CrossesBorders
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Walking with Micah
Are you interested in shaping the future of a
justice-seeking Methodist Church? Are you involved in chaplaincy?
Then join the conversation! https://walkingwithmicahforchaplains.eventbrite.co.uk/
As
a chaplain, you have invaluable insights into the world the
Methodist Church works with and as we look to the future of our
justice-seeking work, we want to hear from you.
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Ablewell Advice Walsall 10 for 10 
We are
doing things a little bit differently this year for Lent as we
mark Ablewell Advice's 10 year anniversary of helping the
residents of Walsall on the 30th April, so today we are launching
our 10 for 10 appeal.
Please have a look at the below for ideas of how you can help us
during our 10 for 10 appeal.
We would love it if you could send us photos or tag us in any
social media posts using #ablewelladvice
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Unconscious Bias Online Training
Unconscious bias refers to a bias that we are unaware of, and
which happens outside of our control. It is a bias that happens
automatically and is triggered by our brain making quick
judgments and assessments of people and situations, influenced by
our background, cultural environment and personal experiences.'
Hidden biases have the power to undermine and derail our desire
to act Justly, and fairly towards other people and lots of areas
of our decision making. It is possible to be unconsciously biased
regarding disability, religion, race, gender, age, social class,
and more. This Unconscious Bias Training session is aimed
particularly at those engaged in the stationing invitation pro[1]cess, but is also applicable
for those on circuit meetings and church councils, etc. We will
be using the video resources for introducing unconscious bias
which is now available on the Methodist Church Website. The
resources can be found at: Introduction to Unconscious Bias – for
church councils, circuit meetings and other groups.
(methodist.org.uk) The online session will include watching the
videos and joining in small group conversation/reflection
following each of the 3 video clips. The reading/study material
which is required before and after the session will be sent to participants
once they have booked a place and the booking period has closed.
When booking your place, please select which session you will be
attending. To Book:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/unconscious-bias-training-tickets-249312128287
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Methodist Modern Art Collection comes to
Bewdley
INTERNATIONALLY
RENOWNED ART COLLECTION COMES TO BEWDLEY
Click here
for poster.
A selection of art from the internationally renowned Methodist
Modern Art Collection, one of the UK’s most significant
collections of modern religious art, will be on display in the
Wyre Forest Gallery at Bewdley Museum each day from
Saturday 26 March until Sunday 24 April 2022. Opening hours are
11.00am to 3.00pm and admission is free.
The total Collection features fifty works, including some by
well-known artists such as Graham Sutherland, Elisabeth Frink,
William Roberts, and Maggi Hambling. Some of the artists were or
are Christian, while others not, but together they offer widely
differing perspectives on the Christian story.
An extensive conservation programme has recently been completed
to return these important paintings to their full glory and to
ensure they are available for future generations.
Twenty works have been chosen for the Bewdley exhibition,
depicting scenes from different stages of the life of Jesus
before focussing on his crucifixion and resurrection.
A programme of exciting creative events, including workshops,
talks and reflections has also been planned over the duration of
the exhibition. Full details can be found at: www.forallpeoplebewdley.com
This exhibition has been organised by the ecumenical group
Bewdley Churches Together, consisting of six local churches, and
is financially supported by several local organisations.
Jim Ineson from Bewdley Churches Together commented “It is a
privilege to have this Collection here in Bewdley. The works that
we have on display offer a thought provoking and sometimes
challenging perspective on Christ’s life. Whether you are a
person of faith or not, Christian or non-Christian, you will find
yourself challenged in intriguing new ways through this
exhibition appropriately called `For All People’.”
For further information contact Jim Ineson at 01299 405645 or jim.ineson@gmail.com
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All We Can Ukraine Relief Fund
All We
Can - the Methodist Relief and Development Charity - is working
together with the Global Relationships Team of the Methodist
Church in Britain to provide critical humanitarian assistance to
communities facing violence, upheaval and the trauma of war.
If you want to do something to help Ukrainians, here's one
possible route
https://www.allwecan.org.uk/donations/ukraine/
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Fair Trade pop up shop in Wolverhampton
Coming soon - Wolverhampton Fair Traid will be opening
another pop-up shop in the Mander Centre, Wolverhampton on
Saturday, 12th March: opening hours:- 10.00 am - 5.00 pm,
Mondays - Saturdays. We will remain open until
Saturday, 23rd April.
You will find us next to the YMCA shop in the Victoria
Arcade - the passage leading from Beatties into Mander
Square itself. Looking for Mothers' Day gifts? We will have
plenty of ideas for you. Easter eggs, cards and decorations will
also be available.
We look forward to seeing you.
Further details from Brenda Shuttleworth: brendaks@hotmail.co.uk
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Learning and Development Events
Over the
last Connexional Year, there has been a shift in the way that the
Learning Network have been organising and running events. We are
increasingly working cross regionally, often in partnership with
colleagues from other Connexional teams (such as Evangelism and
Growth), to host online events and webinars which are open to
anyone who wishes to book in via the Eventbrite link provided. We
will of course still continue to run some training and
development events regionally; for example, Advanced Safeguarding,
and regional support and community of practice groups, such as
the one for WLP tutors and mentors.
To avoid
sending out multiple emails, I have tried to gather all of the
events that I am currently aware of into this one newsletter.
I’ve grouped events by topic, rather than date, since some are
either ongoing or held on multiple dates. Please do share and
distribute this to all who may find it helpful. I’ve kept the
formatting as simple as possible to allow you to cut and paste
the information into your own newsletters, or copy and share
individual events with those you particularly want to encourage to
attend. Any queries or questions about specific events should be
addressed to the event organizer, not the LN West Midlands team.
Events
will continue to be advertised via our Learning Network West
Midlands Facebook page, and Connexional social media and newsletters.
Kerry (scarlettk@methodistchurch.org.uk )
Learning
and Development Opportunities
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Would
you like to train as a Mental Health First Aider? This is a
vital skill to support people in our churches and local
communities during these challenging times.
At present this is primarily an online course - with four
sessions plus a need to complete self-learning at home
for which materials will be provided. You must
attend all sessions to qualify. Maximum 16
per course.
Cost is £50 per person (payable with booking
and non-refundable) - this is being heavily subsidised for
Methodists from the £300 per person fee usually charged by MHFA
England. Book by clicking the link below or (if having
difficulties with link) by emailing Howard Wilson – wilsonh@methodistchurch.org.uk
Course C - 26,28 April, 3,5 May 12:30-15:00
book here
Course D - 21,23,28,30 June 09:30-12:00 book here
Please note: Having booked via Eventbrite you must
then use the link on the booking email to register your place
on the MHFA website to receive your materials.
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- Re-imagining
discipleship
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Tuesday
26 April 9.30-4.30, Cliff College.
Are you interested in exploring how to bring intentional
discipleship growth into your community? Would you value space
and time for reflection and conversations with others asking
the same questions you are? Join Andy Fishburne and Abi Jarvis
for a day at Cliff College, exploring how ideas like
discipleship pathways and A Methodist Way of Life can help us
to re-engineer our churches to grow in discipleship together.
Register your free place: Register here.
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- Circuit Stewards
Training
Various
dates, on zoom.
This four -session course will be offered twice in 2022. The
sessions are based on the material available on the Stewards
pages of the Methodist website. Sessions will run from 7 till 9
pm.
Dates:
14th, 21st, 28th June & 5th July
To book – www.bit.ly/circuitsteward
4. Social Justice and
Evangelism Webinar Wednesday 6th April 7-8pm, on
zoom
Communities who have struggled for the last decade have been hit
by the pandemic and now face rising costs. This session aims to
look at how communities are being affected, who is likely to need
support and what we as churches and Christians can do to be part
of positive change.
Speaker: Paul
Morrison
Hosted
by: Eunice Attwood, Church at the Margins
Officer
Register
here: REGISTER NOW
5.
Positive Working Together: Bullying and Harassment Various dates,
on zoom
For
training dates for Positive Working Together courses
(including Growing
through Change and Conflict, and Scripture,
Spirituality and Conflict) please visit the following
webpage and scroll down until you see the section on training
dates for 2022. https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/guidance-for-churches/introducing-positive-working-together/training-in-positive-working-together/
6.
Beginning a Church at the Margins: A 3 session interactive online
course Various
dates, on zoom
Aim of
the course: A space to think about connecting and
becoming a community of new Christians amongst and led by people
experiencing poverty.
For: People
who are passionate about their community with very little or no
experience of this kind of work. Whilst you can attend alone
ideally, we would like you to join as a team (you plus one other
person from your church or circuit) to share in conversation
together (if you are an experienced pioneer drop us an email for
more information).
Important:
Each
session in the course builds on the previous session, so you need
to be available to attend all three sessions. The sessions are
designed to be interactive rather than formal presentations and
will not be recorded. This course is open to all across the
connexion (not just West Midlands)
Hosted
by: Eunice Attwood, Church at the Margins Officer
and Kerry Scarlett, Regional Learning and Development Officer
To
book: please click the links (in blue) below, or
go to https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-work/our-work-in-britain/evangelism-growth/discover-church-at-the-margins/church-at-the-margins-training/
and click the links in red beside the dates you wish to attend.
Wednesday
8th June 7-9pm: Session One:
Creating connections and spaces where people truly encounter one
another.
Wednesday
22nd June7-9pm: Session Two:
Nurturing communities in which people with lived experience of
poverty are recognised as the experts
Wednesday
13th July7-9pm: Session Three:
Sharing the gospel and seeing transformation as people grow in
faith and challenge injustice.
If you would be interested in attending this course over two days
face to face at Cliff College, please email: attwoode@methodistchurch.org.uk
New
Resources for use at Local Church/ Circuit level.
Walking
with Micah “Justice Conversations
These conversations are an invitation to anyone involved in the
life of Methodist churches and communities to have a conversation
about what a just world looks like, and to feedback their answers
to the project. The answers will help shape the Methodist Church’s
work to tackle injustice.
Local Justice Conversations can take any shape or form, but it’s
hoped that people will encounter three things:
- Listening to
experiences of injustice
- Exploring where
God is
- Reflecting on
what a just world looks like.
There are lots of tools
available on the Walking with Micah website to support
conversations – from worship resources, to guided conversations,
to intergenerational ideas and craftivist sessions. This 12
minute film, Speaking from Experience,
in which people with particular experiences of injustice describe
what a just world looks like to them.
You can find out more about the Justice Conversations here.
At the end of a Conversation, groups are encouraged to feedback
their answers via an e-survey. Postcards are also available
where people do not meet as a group. Feedback from this
phase of the project will be looked along with resources from
other phases
to work towards the Conference report in 2023.
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Trauma-informed Ministry in a Time of COVID
Wednesday
4th May 2022, 9.30am till 1pm on Zoom
Last year the District offered two repeat sessions of this half
day course run by the Tragedy
and Congregations Team. It was found to be very
helpful by those who attended and so now - as we reach a
different stage of the pandemic - we are offering a further
session.
The course is designed for those in ordained ministry and will be
delivered by the Rev’d Hilary Ison. It offers opportunities
to:
• articulate experience of the COVID crisis
• make connections between these reactions and trauma theory
• explore the dynamics of communities after a tragedy
• look at biblical resources for addressing our current
situation
Numbers are limited to 12. To book your place on one of
these please contact Richard in the District Office admin@wsmethodist.org.uk
Priority is given to presbyters and deacons on the
stations and Supernumeraries with oversight of
churches.
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Conference Volunteers URGENTLY needed
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3Generate 2022
We’re
delighted to let you know that 3Generate, the Methodist children
and youth assembly, will be taking place at the NEC in Birmingham
again: the dates are Friday
30th September to Sunday 2nd October 2022. Tickets go on sale
from 1st April
to 31st July so groups can
register and book tickets during this period but payment isn’t
required until the first week of September 2022. More information
can be found here.
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Stationing Training 2022
Following
the positive response to online training sessions last year,
training in Stationing processes will once again be held online
and broken down into separate sections. The training will
be conducted by the Chair and the District Lay Stationing Rep.
Ministers and Circuits expected to be involved in stationing will
receive individual notification of these sessions. The
training is for ministers, spouses/partners, Superintendents and
Circuit Stewards involved in reviews or moves.
Training on the process for re-invitation would also be
very helpful for any other people, such as Church Stewards, who
may play a part in the review process.
7pm
Thursday 5th May: An introduction to the
Stationing Process*
7pm
Monday 23rd May: The re-invitation
process
6pm
Tuesday 24 May: New appointments
(Ministers)
7.30pm
Tuesday 24 May: New appointments
(Circuit Invitation Committee)
*NB the District Policy Committee previously arranged for that
date is being postponed due to other factors)
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